Chapter 35
35
Without a second thought, Edric lunged into the carriage and scooped the woman up into his arms. Her body was eerily light. She was damp, soaked in a lukewarm sweat.
He hurriedly brushed the golden strands of hair away from her face and lightly patted her bloodless cheek.
In that instant, the golden eyelashes that had been casting long shadows over her cheeks fluttered open, revealing deep, dark blue eyes.
He held his breath instinctively. Those eyes, as blue as a deep marsh, felt as though they were sucking the soul right out of him.
As he stared down into them, dazed, a stinging sensation suddenly flared across his right cheek.
He cupped his face with one hand, blinking blankly. The woman had slipped out of his arms in an instant and was now glaring at him as if he were some sort of degenerate.
“How dare you lay your filthy hands on me?”
Edric, who had been standing there with his mouth agape, raised his voice in indignation.
“I thought Your Highness had lost consciousness…!”
“And since you thought I was unconscious, you decided to try something untoward?”
“How could you say such a thing…!”
Edric tried to spring to his feet in a huff, only to crack the crown of his head against the carriage ceiling and huddle back down.
Between the fury at the Princess’s insulting words and the throbbing pain in his head, a stray tear actually pricked his eye.
He clutched his head and groaned for a good while. The Princess watched him with a pathetic look, then rubbed her temples and gestured with her chin.
“Fine, just get out. Stop being a nuisance.”
“Instead of that, why don’t you step outside for some fresh air? We have at least another half-day of travel ahead of us. How long do you plan to stay cooped up in this oven?”
Rubbing his crown, Edric muttered with a sullen face. It was a blunt piece of advice offered even as he braced himself to be struck again.
The Princess glared at him, looking utterly appalled. She seemed flabbergasted that he would dare to nag her without tiring.
Edric bit back the urge to snap that he wasn’t interfering because he enjoyed her company.
It wasn’t a job he had chosen by his own will, but this bratty Princess was his responsibility regardless. If she collapsed during the journey, the fallout would be his to deal with.
He met the woman’s venomous gaze head-on, prepared to drag her out by force if necessary.
Her brow furrowed as if she were fed up with his persistence, and she finally stood up.
Brightening, he stepped out of the carriage first. He held out a hand to escort her, but the Princess slammed the door right in his face.
Edric stared at the firmly shut door with a stunned expression before finally giving up and turning away.
‘…I truly have no idea what it is that makes her so constantly displeased.’
He let out a heavy sigh and trudged toward the lakeshore.
Even as he washed his sweat-stained face with water as cold as ice and rested under the shade of a tree, the stubborn Princess didn’t show so much as a hair.
Was she on guard, perhaps afraid someone might harm her?
The way she kept her guard up so excessively reminded him of a beast caught in a trap.
He looked at the carriage with a puzzled gaze for a moment before shaking his head to clear his mind of useless thoughts.
Why bother trying to understand a woman like that?
If he could just endure until this trip was over, he would be liberated from this tedious duty.
The Second Princess changed her personal guards constantly, so he would likely be replaced before long. He just had to hold out until then.
Encouraging himself, Edric sat in the shade with the other knights. After resting for a while and having a simple meal of wine and bread, he climbed back into his saddle.
As noon passed, the air gradually grew cooler.
The pilgrims, having regained their energy, continued their vigorous march along the Sinai Mountain Range, which divided the western and northeastern regions. Thanks to their diligent pace, they reached the Sinai Plains—formerly the territory of the Kingdom of Balto—by sunset.
“We shall camp here for the night.”
Barkas gave the order in a low voice as he surveyed the ranks.
Edric looked at him with eyes half-filled with awe. Despite riding all day, Barkas looked exactly as he had when they started.
The superior officer dismounted without a single hair out of place, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
“Erect a perimeter around the campsite and set guards.”
The knights obeyed the command immediately.
Edric also set to work building a fence around the camp. He briefly wondered if it was an excessive measure, but the Sinai Plains were inhabited by numerous magic beasts.
While it was said that a large-scale military force was rarely attacked, there was no harm in being careful.
He pulled iron-spiked boards from a supply wagon, fixed them to the ground, and wound ropes with small bells attached around them.
After several hours of diligent work, he completed the temporary defensive barrier surrounding the campsite.
He brushed the dust from his hands and headed toward the area where the campfires had been lit. While they had been setting up the defenses, the Princess’s attendants had finished preparing dinner.
Clutching his hungry stomach, he approached a fire where meat was roasting. He popped a small piece of bacon into his mouth and asked one of the maids a question.
“Has Her Highness’s meal been served?”
The young-faced maid, who was stirring a large pot with a ladle, looked at him with a flustered expression.
“Well… she said she had no appetite…”
Edric, who had been wiping grease from his hands with a towel, frowned.
She had skipped lunch, and now she was going to starve through dinner too?
A surge of irritation flared within him at the Princess, who acted like a child at every turn.
He tossed the wet towel carelessly to the ground and picked up an empty basket.
“Fill this with something decent to eat.”
The maid immediately packed the basket with everything: a large slice of pie, bacon stew, wine, and preserved fruits.
Tucking the food-laden basket under his arm, he marched toward the Princess’s small fortress.
He knew he didn’t need to force food on someone who insisted they didn’t want to eat. However, the memory of her disturbingly light body made it impossible for him to stay still.
Cursing his own meddling nature, he knocked on the carriage door.
“Your Highness, I have brought dinner.”
“I told you I’m not eating.”
“You’ve practically starved all day. How do you expect to endure this grueling journey without proper meals? Even if you have no appetite, please try to eat.”
“I said fine, now get lost!”
Edric’s face twisted. Even a hedgehog wouldn’t be this prickly. Summoning every ounce of his patience, he spoke as calmly as possible.
“Then, I will leave it here in front, so if you change your mind…”
As Edric bent down to set the basket, he flinched and recoiled. Without warning, the door swung open, and a pale, fiercely set face filled his vision.
He swallowed hard as he met those blue eyes, shining vividly even in the glow of the sunset.
